Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) vehicles are often used in providing reconnaissance, among other functions, and allow access to areas that may not be feasible with conventional aircraft. In particular, ducted fan VTOL vehicles are known for superior stationary aerodynamic hovering performance and low speed flights. However, attempts at achieving autonomous launch and capture of such VTOL vehicles, for example from moving recovery vehicles, have been limited to date.
VTOL capture devices often depend on a VTOL vehicle's precise vertical descent and landing onto a landing platform. The ability of a VTOL vehicle to land on a precise landing platform can be difficult, and is dependent on the vehicle control system and control effector authority with the vehicle in a low power thrust mode in which margins are small. This can be even more difficult in situations in which the landing platform is mounted on a moving recovery vehicle, for example because the task of landing the VTOL vehicle on a precise location on the moving recovery vehicle limits the range of motion of the moving recovery vehicle as well as the environmental conditions, such as wind conditions, under which a capture can take place.
Other systems used to capture VTOL vehicles include net capture systems (for example, in which a VTOL vehicle flies into a hoisted net on a recovery vehicle) and a tail hook and winch system (for example, in which a hook is mounted on the VTOL vehicle and captures a mounted lanyard on a recovery vehicle). However, similar to the technique described above in which the VTOL vehicle lands vertically on a precise location, such systems also do not support an autonomous capture and precision locating technique for the VTOL vehicle. Nor do any of these systems offer a combined autonomous launch and capture capability.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a system for improved capture of a VTOL vehicle. It is also desirable to provide improved VTOL capture devices that offer a combined launch and capture capability, and/or that provide for improved capture and/or launch of VTOL vehicles on moving recovery vehicles. It is also desirable to provide a VTOL launch and capture capability combined with a precision VTOL placement on the recovery vehicle. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.